Arts & Entertainment
NBC announces ‘Law & Order’ spin-off spotlighting hate crimes
The installment will be introduced on ‘SVU’

(Screenshot via YouTube)
NBC has announced yet another “Law & Order” spin-off is in the works. The latest installment “Law & Order: Hate Crimes” will be introduced during the new season of “Law & Order: SVU.”
“Law & Order: Hate Crimes” will be based on New York City’s real-life Hate Crimes Task Force. According to Deadline, the series is “set in New York City, where crimes motivated by discrimination are vigorously investigated by an elite, specially trained team of investigators. Going behind the headlines and viral videos, these diverse, dedicated and passionate detectives will stop at nothing to bring these criminals to justice.”
Producer Dick Wolf says he hopes “Hate Crimes” will change people’s mindset in the same way “SVU” did when it first aired.
“As with all of my crime shows, I want to depict what’s really going on in our cities and shine a light on the wide-ranging victims and show that justice can prevail,” Wolf said. “Twenty years ago when SVU began, very few people felt comfortable coming forward and reporting these crimes, but when you bring the stories into people’s living rooms – with characters as empathetic as Olivia Benson – a real dialogue can begin. That’s what I hope we can do with this new show in a world where hate crimes have reached an egregious level.”
Despite Wolf’s optimism, some people were skeptical about the series’ content airing during the current political climate.
I eagerly(?) await the gay panic defense episode of Law & Order: Hate Crimes Unit.
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) September 4, 2018
Look, I love a Law & Order marathon as much as anyone. But the ways in which SVU contributed to the fetishizing of violence against women on TV and the entire franchise has turned trans violence into set dressing makes me feel NOT GOOD about an entire hate crimes series. https://t.co/uxK9d7bMBZ
— Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) September 4, 2018
“Law & Order: Hate Crimes” sounds triggering as hell.
Who tf thought this was a good idea??? pic.twitter.com/y79Poz5wQ7
— Stephanie (@stephblackmon) September 4, 2018
If you’re gonna do it, just bring back regular Law & Order with Lt. Van Buren and another dope detective pair.
Nobody wants to see Law and Order: Hate Crimes when Trump is in the White House. That’s the ultimate hate crime. pic.twitter.com/MfKJuVMO0H
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) September 4, 2018
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The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)










a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
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